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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rash — a series
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. suit — to fit
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pit — in a race
  14. field — a subject
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. field — farmland
  19. pit — a hole
  20. club — a group
  21. saw — the tool
  22. club — for golf
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com